


Deanspotting

by Prodigal_anon



Series: High School AU [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: High School AU, M/M, pre-destiel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-13
Updated: 2016-09-13
Packaged: 2018-08-14 21:27:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8029468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prodigal_anon/pseuds/Prodigal_anon
Summary: Cas meets Dean in the library at their high school and is completely infatuated.





	Deanspotting

     Cas has been aware of Dean for a while – hard not to be, really.  It’s probable that everyone in the school has seen him or spoken to him at least once.  Dean’s one of those guys, the guy that everyone seems to like, no matter what group they belong to.  And, as anyone who’s seen him even once would know, Dean’s got the kind of face that just… draws your attention to him.  So, yes, Cas has been aware of Dean, has actually exchanged words briefly in their freshman year (“Ah, sorry dude, wasn’t watching where I was going.”  “It’s fine.”).  The brief exchange had been the whole of their interaction, and so Cas is totally shocked when a leather-clad elbow nudges his, and startled, he looks up to see Dean’s face a few inches away, grinning in amusement.

 

     “Hey, Cas,” Dean says, still smiling.  He’s sitting right there next to Cas, facing the wrong way on the library bench, elbows resting behind him on the library table.  Cas gapes.

 

     “How- how long were you sitting there?”  Cas manages, still surprised.  It’s almost 4pm on a Friday, school’s been out for an hour, and he would not have guessed that Dean Winchester would be hanging around the school library – or if he did, that he would be talking to Cas, rather than – well, practically anyone else?  Abruptly he realizes he’s been staring into Dean’s green eyes, which are heavily crinkled at the corners in amusement.  “And, hello, Dean,” he says belatedly.

 

     “I’ve been here a few minutes.  Pretty good book, I guess?”  Dean leans over to peer at it; his chin is almost touching Cas’s shoulder. 

 

     “Oh, it’s uh – yeah, I guess, it’s just – for Ms Harvelle’s class.”  For the life of him, Cas can’t even remember the name of the book now, and he has to tear his gaze away from Dean’s face to glance at it to remind himself.  “It’s – ‘Cry, the Beloved Country.’”

 

     Dean makes a face and nods.  “The guy in South Africa who’s looking for his kid, right?  But the kid was a murderer?  Fun stuff.”

 

     Cas is surprised again.  “You’re in AP English too?” 

 

     Dean winks, and Cas feels the beginning of a flush forming on his face.  “Nah, saw the movie.  James Earl Jones.  My bro’s probably read it though – he’s a smart kid.”

 

     The flush intensifies.  Cas is sure he looks like an idiot, face red and staring like a moron.  “I didn’t mean to imply that you weren’t – oh.” 

 

     Dean’s used his thumb and forefinger to flick at Cas’s forehead, which shuts him up.  Dean hoists himself up to sit on the table, so his blue-jeaned butt is now immediately next to Cas’s hand.  “Ms Harvelle?  You know her daughter’s a freshman this year?  That’s gotta be awkward.  Poor Jo.”

 

     “Oh, I – didn’t know.”  Ms Harvelle is kind enough, but not particularly the sort to share those kinds of details.  He watches as Dean draws a picture of – Cas isn’t sure what, exactly, maybe a hairy elephant? – on the margin of Cas’s notes.

 

     “Dean Winchester!  Sit at the table the way you should.  Don’t make me come over there.”  Ms Mills is glaring at him as she walks by with a cart of books she’s returning to the shelves. 

 

     Dean rolls his eyes and does as he’s told, sitting on the bench again (this time considerably closer to Cas).  “Right, Sheriff Mills, sorry.  No rule-breaking on your watch.”  He grins and winks at her as she scoffs.  This is her nickname as her authority over the rules of the library is absolute.

 

     “If he’s bothering you, Cas, let me know and I’ll send him off to sort periodicals,” she says with an air of familiarity, as though she’s seen all of Dean’s charms before and is unimpressed.

 

     “No, he’s – fine,” Cas says, still feeling a little surreal about it. 

 

     Dean turns his green eyes back to Cas at that, still smiling, and they carry on talking for a while, though Cas will swear later he can hardly remember what they spoke about.  Dean just grins and smirks and laughs, talking unconcernedly about whatever happens to be on his mind, and Cas answers somehow, the book forgotten on the table.  He isn’t sure how long it’s been when abruptly Dean looks up and – well, he  _ really _ smiles, his grin going at once softer and brighter, and Cas has to physically tear himself away from the sight.  He turns around to see a cute, shy, slightly dorky-looking kid approaching them.

 

     “Hey-y-y, Sammy, you found me!”  Dean says, spreading his hands wide. 

 

     “Ms Mills called and said you were here.”  This is Sam, then – it’s another thing that’s just part of the general awareness of Dean, that he has a brother named Sam.  The kid seems about twelve, maybe younger, tiny compared to Dean’s bulk, and wearing a Star Wars backpack, though his arms are filled with books as well.

 

     “You mean  _ Sheriff _ Mills dispatched it in.  Yeah, Bobby’s out for the day.  So I hung out here with Cas.  He’s almost as nerdy as you.  Cas, Sam.”

 

     “Hello, Sam,” Cas says, feeling awkward and still reeling from that smile.

 

     “Hi Cas,” Sam says, looking about as shy and awkward as Cas feels.  Total opposite of his brother.

 

     “God, you two nerds.  I feel dorkier just watching this.”  Dean claps his hand on Cas’s shoulder, squeezing it before pushing himself up off the bench.  “All right, well Cas, I gotta go take this kid home now.  You gonna stay here all night?  You want a ride back home?” 

 

     “Ah, no, I – I walk,” Cas says, feeling regret like he never has before that he only lives a quarter mile from the school.

 

     “Sure.  Okay, see ya around then,” Dean says, smiling at him once more – the lesser smile, the one he gives to everyone but his brother.  He gets up, snatching the books out of Sam’s arms and sauntering towards the library doors, chatting amiably about how Sam’s day went.

 

     Cas watches them go, out the double doors and turning left towards the parking lot.  He’s still feeling dazed by the whole thing – Dean’s random and abrupt arrival, the whole conversation, his equally abrupt departure.  He’d just sat down and talked to Cas as though Cas had been his friend since forever.  Which was weird, wasn’t it?  A guy like Dean must have tons of friends to kill time with?

 

     And that  _ smile _ .  That smile, like no other smile had been real…

 

     The whole afternoon is shot.  Dean Winchester occupies all of his thoughts now, and Cas gives up after another ten minutes and packs it in for the short walk home, during which he thinks of Dean.  He tells himself he’s just curious – popular guys like Dean Winchester don’t randomly spend a Friday afternoon hanging out in a library with a guy like Cas.

 

     He has most of the weekend to put it out of his mind, but straight away on the following week, he just starts noticing Dean more than he ever would have before.

 

     Monday, 9:30-ish: Cas is walking back to his classroom after being excused to use the restroom and sees Dean through the window in the front courtyard, sprawled over a bench and talking to Benny Lafitte, another Bad Boy and chronic class-skipper.  Cas has to admire their nerve; if ever he was to skip class (not likely), he would probably not dare to do it boldly where any faculty member could see. 

 

     Tuesday, 2pm – Cas is on his way to AP Biology when he sees Dean leaning on the doorway to Mr. Singer’s auto shop classroom, talking to the instructor animatedly as other kids filter in.  Dean occasionally breaks from the conversation to nudge a student or greet another.  He catches Cas’s eye and gives the (lesser) smile, waving briefly, while still chatting to Mr. Singer.  Cas waves back, feels stupid as he does so, and hustles by with an inexplicably reddening face.

 

     Wednesday, 10am – Dean is in the back of the drama/choir room, grinning as he lightly tosses foam props at the back of Charlie Bradbury’s head.  Cas wonders if he’s actually taking drama or choir – they’re easy electives to be sure, but Dean didn’t strike him as the sort.  Maybe he’s just there to harass Charlie – she’s currently laughing and inching her hand towards the foam morning-star leaning against a cabinet.

 

     Wednesday, 12pm – Cas is hurrying across the courtyard, bearing an armload of books, running a little bit late to get his lunch where he’s meeting with the rest of his team for the history presentation.  He spots Dean out of the corner of his eye, laying on top of one of the picnic tables in the corner, gesticulating with a burger in his hand as Sam watches and eats his own lunch more sedately from his seat at the table.

 

     Wednesday, 3pm – Back by Mr. Singer’s shop room.  Cas can hear Dean’s voice inside, talking again.  Mr. Singer’s distinctively gruff voice occasionally interjects.  Cas suspects that this is probably where Dean usually stays until his brother gets out an hour later. 

 

     Thursday, 8:30am – Cas is in the library’s photocopying room, with an armload of material for Ms Harvelle, when he hears Dean’s voice again.  With a little spring in his step and an odd feeling of excitement, he steps around towards the study tables, but stops short and ducks back behind the row of books when he sees Dean sitting there with his brother Sam again.  They’ve made the table their own, with comic books spread over it (and a high-school textbook lying forgotten off to the side – probably Dean’s).  Sam is speaking now, earnestly pointing at one of the comic books and explaining something to Dean, who is listening with a look on his face that is equal parts indulgent and I-can’t-believe-what-a-dork-you-are.  To judge from the snack bags, they’ve been there for a while, and Cas wonders what kind of situation leads to these brothers setting up camp in a library before class.

 

     Thursday, 1pm – Cas is late to leave Mr. Turner’s math class, and so is still gathering up his books when Dean comes in.  The green eyes light up in recognition when he sees Cas, but he’s immediately pounced on by Garth, who’s probably one of the oddest kids in the school.  Dean turns his attention to the wiry, excitable Garth, and Cas quietly exits.

 

     Friday, 7:30am, Dean rolls up in a very nice car – a ’67 Impala (this surprises Cas a little, until he recalls Dean’s extra time spent in the auto hobby shop with Mr. Singer).  Cas normally walks to school and enters from the north entrance, and is only in the student parking lot by the south entrance because there’s construction blocking the north today, so this is the first time he’s ever seen Dean arrive. 

 

    Dean steps out of the car, grinning and addressing his passenger, who of course turns out to be Sam.  Dean calls him a dweeb, a dork and a little shit in succession as they walk towards the school entrance, not noticing Cas lingering back to watch.  That smile is in full strength now.  Sam alternately laughs or rolls his eyes at Dean as his brother shoves him good-naturedly, messes up his hair, or just rests a hand on his shoulder. 

 

     Cas watches as they enter the building and considers this past week and realizes with a shock that other than the teachers and Sam, Cas doesn’t think he’s seen Dean with the same person twice. 

 

     He spends the weekend trying to remember, to be certain, but he doesn’t think that any one person’s stood out as being around Dean that much – other than Mr. Singer and Sam. 

 

     The next week, he actually looks for Dean throughout the week, and confirms that Dean talks to everyone, but never seems to be close to anyone.  Only Sam.

 

     Well.  That smile needs to be seen more often, Cas thinks, and he’s determined to try to get to know him. 


End file.
